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Archive for April, 2010

Welcome to this week’s edition of “REDMAP Rundown,” a synopsis of redistricting news brought to you by the RSLC’s REDistricting MAjority Project (REDMAP). This weekly email gives you the latest on what those in the beltway, and across the country, are saying about the impending reapportionment and redistricting process.

In this week’s “REDMAP Rundown,” Illinois Dems run into opposition from one of their own, Florida takes some initiative, Texas is still looking good, the Mississippi SOS wants his state to do better and Colorado Democrats keep it partisan.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting, “As lawmakers in Springfield prepare to vote on a proposal to change the way state House and Senate districts are drawn, Gov. Pat Quinn today said he’s not a fan of the plan his fellow Democrats drafted. The governor said that he doesn’t see the proposed changes ‘as moving the ball forward all that much’ and worries districts will be crafted to protect sitting lawmakers instead of reflecting a particular geographic area. ‘It’s awfully complicated,’ Quinn said. ‘I’m not sure if it’s a reform or not, to be honest.’”

And in Florida, the “Legislature’s answer to a pair of citizen initiatives on redistricting … cleared the Florida House by a partisan vote Monday. The proposed state constitutional amendment (HJR 7231), which House Democrats said would undermine the initiatives, passed 74-40 — two more than the minimum needed to get on the ballot. It goes to the Senate next and is expected to pass with help from at least a couple Democrats. They’ve joined Republicans in arguing the measure is needed to ‘clarify’ the citizen initiatives and keep intact changes in redistricting procedures over the last 20 years that have increased minority representation in legislative and congressional districts.”

Florida State Sen. Mike Haridopolos talks about redistricting and what the Florida legislature is doing to protect voters. VIDEO HERE.

“Okay, Texans. The legislators you select this November will be charged with re-drawing their own legislative districts in 2011, to reflect population shifts from the 2010 census. If history is a guide, they also will reflect the desires of whichever party happens to be in charge at the time. As things stand now, and unless there’s some huge surprises, that will be the Republicans. They hold an 18-13 edge over Democrats in the Senate, and are currently at 77-73 in the House.”

Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann “said he is disappointed in the state’s response to the census. … The census leads to redistricting and Hosemann said, ‘The issues are pretty straightforward. First of all, and most important to me, is that we maintain the one person, one vote requirements. That sounds simple, but in redistricting, the Legislature has 122 House seats and 52 Senate seats, and those need to be allocated, in my mind, to reflect an equal number of citizens that they represent.’”

The RSLC is the only national organization whose mission is to elect down ballot state-level Republican office-holders. For more information or media inquiries, please contact Adam Temple at 571.480.4891. If you would like to recieve this report in an email, please click here

The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature’s answer to a pair of citizen initiatives on redistricting has passed in The Republican-controlled Legislature’s answer to a pair of citizen initiatives aimed at curtailing gerrymandering cleared the Florida House by a partisan vote Monday.

The proposed state constitutional amendment (HJR 7231), which House Democrats said would undermine the initiatives, passed 74-40 — two more than the minimum needed to get on the ballot.

It goes to the Senate next and is expected to pass with help from at least a couple Democrats. They’ve joined Republicans in arguing the measure is needed to “clarify” the citizen initiatives and keep intact changes in redistricting procedures over the last 20 years that have increased minority representation in legislative and congressional districts.

“These gains were not achieved through an accident or through a mistake,” said Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami. “They were achieved through a process that was rightfully corrected.”

Welcome to this week’s edition of “REDMAP Rundown,” a synopsis of redistricting news brought to you by the RSLC’s REDistricting MAjority Project (REDMAP). This weekly report gives you the latest on what those in the beltway, and across the country, are saying about the impending reapportionment and redistricting process.

It is all about the states in this week’s “REDMAP Rundown.” From Florida to Nevada to California, state office-holders and special interests continue to gear up for a fight.

The Las Vegas Sun reports that Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller “is facing questions from political opponents over his appearance alongside UFC fighters in an ad encouraging Nevadans to participate in the U.S. Census. The ad — which features Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters, an octagon girl, UFC President Dana White, and Miller urging people to send in their census forms — has prompted the Nevada Republican Party to accuse Miller, a Democrat, in an ethics complaint of using taxpayer money to further his political career.”

And in Florida, “voters may find more redistricting questions greeting them at the ballot than they know what to do with. And critics say that may be the point. The Senate Ethics and Elections Committee held a special meeting Thursday to cue up a redistricting resolution that materialized last week, a move to provide more ‘clarity’ to two reapportionment ballot questions already heading to voters in November.”

The Denver Post writes that it is getting “nasty” after “a Democratic-backed plan to change rules on congressional redistricting [was] introduced late last week. … House Bill 1408, sponsored by House Majority Leader Paul Weissmann, D-Louisville, would eliminate a law Republicans passed in 2003 that dictates factors a court is to consider if the legislature fails to draw up a redistricting plan.”

“A petition drive to change the Illinois Constitution’s legislative redistricting rules appears on the verge of falling short of the signatures needed to bypass the General Assembly and get before voters on the November ballot,” according to the South Town Star.

In the West, “Officials say nearly 5,000 Californians have taken the second step to serve on a panel that will redraw the boundaries for state legislative districts. State Auditor Elaine Howle announced Tuesday that about 20 percent of the initial eligible applicants submitted a supplemental form for the Citizens Redistricting Commission. The supplemental application period closed Monday.”

“The political action committee founded by Ed Koch to reform government in Albany is hoping to make it harder for incumbents to stay in office through the creation of an independent commission to redraw legislative districts, the former mayor announced today.”

And Texas Governor Rick Perry rounds things out this week, telling the Texas Tribune, “Anyone who says ‘Let’s take politics out of redistricting’ is either naive or has another agenda that I have a hard time identifying. … I think the process will work. It has worked for a number of years. It has never been pleasant. And it can work without going into a special session. People need to stick around and do their jobs.”

The RSLC is the only national organization whose mission is to elect down ballot state-level Republican office-holders. For more information or media inquiries, please contact Adam Temple at 571.480.4891. If you would like to recieve this report in an email, please click here

It appears that Floridians will vote in November on competing ballot initiatives on redistricting — and Democrats are divided on which option is better.

More than 1.7 million Floridians signed petitions calling for changes to the ways the Legislature draws up congressional and state legislative seats. Sponsored by Fair Districts Florida, the petitions placed two amendments on the November ballot that require legislators to create geographically compact districts and prohibit them from creating districts that favor certain incumbents or political parties.

Republicans — and some key Democrats — in the Legislature oppose the amendments and have moved their own through committees that would clarify the Fair District measures and have redistricting follow existing federal guidelines.

Democrats from both the House and Senate spoke out against the clarifying amendments on Thursday morning. “There’s no need for it,” said Rep. Perry Thurston of Plantation. “It’s going to cause confusion.”

The Democrats argued that the clarifying amendments would not help minority voters.